So, I have a funny story from the wedding this past Saturday.
It was shortly before the wedding ceremony was about to start. I had been inside with the girls, but since it was almost time for the wedding to start, I stepped outside onto the back deck where the guys were waiting.
Hubby was hanging out, along with the groom and his two best friends (who were the groomsmen). Also chillin’ nearby was Aunt & Uncle, along with two cousins.
What I didn’t know is that the guys had just started the livestream for the wedding … and in doing so, they had just told everyone milling around the back deck to be quiet because the livestream would pick up everything that was said.
Not knowing this, I left the inside (which was all a-flutter with lots of excitement and chatter from the girls!) and stepped out onto a very quiet solemn back deck. And immediately I blurted out: “My goodness! It’s so somber and quiet out here! Inside is all a-flutter with excitement!”
But I didn’t stop there. I kept right on going.
I proceeded to ask the groom if he had a tissue for his pocket. He informed me that he wouldn’t be needing a tissue.
And in typical mom-fashion, I kept right on going: “But his bride might need a tissue! He must have a tissue for his pocket … in case his bride might need one! Weddings are sentimental things! … you never know when you might need a tissue! I would go inside get a tissue for him to have in his pocket.”
At which point I headed back inside.
Moms! Eye-roll emoji!
When I returned a moment later with tissue in hand, the groom finally had a chance to inform me that the livestream was going … and that everyone on the livestream could hear everything I was saying.
Embarrassing!!!
Though, on this side of it, it’s rather hilarious!
You never know who is listening!
As we go throughout our lives, we never know who is listening to what we say.
I had been standing on the back deck of my own home, in our quiet forested backyard, with only a handful of people around … and yet, who knows how many people, from all over the country, were listening to what I was saying!
This same thing is true in our normal, everyday lives. We are going about our normal, everyday business … doing our normal, everyday things … and we have no idea who all is watching what we do and listening to what we say!
It might be the way we respond to the check-out clerk at the store.
It might be the way we treat our co-workers at work.
It might be the way we respond when we’ve been “thrown-under-the-bus” at work, or lied about, or treated unkindly. Someone is watching. Someone is listening.
It might be the way we respond with sunny joyfulness as we interact with others. I certainly notice when someone in front of me in line is interacting with someone else with positivity and joyfulness! Their joyfulness rubs off on me, and I can’t help but be uplifted and feel like my day was brightened! And I wasn’t even part of the conversation!
It might be the way we respond with harshness and rudeness. I was at the grocery store last week, and when I finished shopping and headed up to the self-check line, an older lady was accidentally blocking the way, as she was browsing an end-cap display. A 20’s something young man on the other side, who also needed to get through with his cart, harshly snapped at her: “Can’t you see you’re blocking the whole way and nobody can get through! Can’t you move already! Sheesh!”
I was absolutely crushed for that sweet older lady! I’m sure she was deeply hurt. (I would have been!) And I immediately thought the 20’s something young man was an absolute jerk! If he doesn’t mind treating an older lady at the grocery store with such disdain, he probably treats his mom in a disparaging manner as well. And if he has a girlfriend or a wife, he probably treats her in a disparaging manner as well. I was appalled at how hateful and rude that young man was.
It stuck with me on my way home. And it stuck with me to the point that I’m now writing about it on the blog.
And he had no idea I was listening. He had no idea I was even there.
But his words (and actions) had an impact on me.
You never know who is listening!
And be assured, someone is always listening!
Live each and every day in such a way that you will never have anything to be ashamed of, when you discover that the whole world was actually listening after all!
